A Twist in Reality
by KokoElle920
Summary: We all know the tale of Harry Potter, the boy who lived. But what is he was just a secondary character in someone else's life story? What would our heroes adventures look like if they were told from the perspective of two normal, albeit slightly crazy girls in Fred and George's year? Would everything be the same or would things be just a tad different?
1. The Letter, Koko

**The Letter**

Keosha "Koko" Vani was at most a mediocre girl, at least in her own opinion. She was just eleven years old when her life went from simple-weird to falling down the rabbit hole-weird. Her parents had gotten divorced a year before and now her father had gotten married again, this time to a British woman. Keosha truly liked Maria but she was finding it hard to trust anyone new in her life. Just a few weeks ago, she lost the few friends she had thanks to coming out as bisexual. The whole school detested her even more now but she didn't care about them. She didn't care when they bullied her for being a "freak", she wouldn't care now. The loss of her friends, that opened up old wounds, and broke down walls with the thoughts that she had kept standing for a long time. She'd gone through that far too many times for someone that was her age. At least she still had Spencer.

" _No more simply trusting people! Let them prove to me that they are trustworthy."_ , she thought to herself. _"Even if I end up alone for the rest of my life, which is the most probable situation."_

The only happy thing that happened to Keosha was her brother who learned how to talk and being the first that called her Koko. Though discovering her slightly sadistic side could either be seen as a good thing or bad, depends on who you are. It was no surprise, considering that since she was a kid she used to lie to people and manipulate them. It started out of fear of what her mom would do to her when she was angry, and then eventually became a bad habit. She was trying to break out of that habit but not completely. Those skills can be advantageous in life, especially when it comes to reading people.

A sudden knock at the door broke her out of her thoughts. She opened the door and saw a plump woman who was wearing something that looked like Maria's mother's clothes. She had kind and motherly eyes, but Koko knew better than most that those could be deceiving.

"Hello. Who are you?", Keosha asked.

"Hello dear, I am Pomona Sprout. Are your parents around?", the woman, Pomona Sprout answered.

"Yeah. They should be in the backyard. Do you want to come in? I can go get them for you."

"That would be lovely! Thank you."

Keosha opened the door wider to let her in and went through the back door to the backyard.

"Dad, Maria, There's someone here to see you. She's in the living room."

They both looked up, nodded and stopped what they were doing and walked back into the house with her.

Keosha's dad walked up to the woman and held out his hand to shake.

"Hello, I'm Kumar Vani. What can we do for you?"

"Good afternoon, Mr Vani. I'm Pomona Sprout and I am actually here to talk about young Keosha here."

Keosha, who barely paid attention to the conversation, looked up in bewilderment at her name.

"What?", she said. Her eyes widened in confusion and shock, she continued, "Me? Huh? I don't recall meeting you. Have I offended you somehow? If so, I'm sorry."

Sprout giggled and held up her hand to placate Keosha, who had slowly started to ramble.

"Oh no! It's nothing bad! On the contrary, actually. I'm here to talk about the unusual things that happen around your daughter. You must have noticed them."

She directed the last sentence to the adults. They had a cautious expression and nodded slowly. Keosha stared at the woman in curiosity. She didn't care if it was rude. If this woman had some sort of answer to what is happening to her, she wanted to know.

"Do you know why that's happening?", Keosha's dad asked.

"Yes, I do. The same thing happened to me as a child, as well as thousands of other people. She is a witch."

Keosha, her dad, and Maria froze in shock.

"I'm sorry about my delivery of this fact but I fear there was no other way.", Sprout continued.

Maria looked like she was about to faint and Kumar wasn't that much better. Only Keosha looked like she was remotely alright. She looked up at Sprout

"Magic is real? Could you please show me?", she asked

"Of course." Sprout said. She looked around for a moment, took a stick out of her pocket, pointed it at a lamp that was nearby and turned it into a badger.

Keosha's eyes gleamed with excitement at the scene before her. Her dad and Maria stared in awe, both at the demonstration of magic and the glimmer of hope in Keosha's eyes. It might have been a minuscule amount but it was better than the completely hopeless and blank look. At that moment they decided that no matter what, they would do everything in their power to keep that look in their daughter's eyes.

Pomona Sprout looked at the scene in front of her with a fond expression.

"If we could sit down and talk, I can explain everything to the best of my ability."

Maria looked up shocked and embarrassed.

"Oh my! Forgive me for my manners! Please take a seat!"

"No need to apologise, dear.", Sprout said as she sat down in the armchair.

* * *

"Now, I am here to also tell you about Hogwarts. It's the British school for witchcraft and wizardry and I am a teacher there. Hogwarts is a boarding school and the term starts on September 1st."

Sprout talked about Hogwarts and the wizarding world, and everyone was paying attention but something bugged Keosha.

 _"What about Spence?"_ , she thought. _"Would I have to leave him here? I get the feeling that this new world I'm about to step foot in is a secret that not many know about. I can't leave him alone with his father!"_."

"Oh thank you!", Keosha sighed in relief.

Sprout chuckled and handed her a letter.

"This is the instructions on how to get into Diagon Alley and all the supplies you need for the school year. Now I must be going.", she said as she stood up. "Oh, and you wouldn't happen to know a Spencer McGee by any chance, would you?"

"Yeah...no way...Spence...he's a wizard too?!", Keosha was shocked and ecstatic at the same time. She wouldn't have to take this adventure alone and he would be safer at Hogwarts!

"Yes, he is, and it seems like you two are friends. I look forward to seeing you both at Hogwarts.", Sprout replied with a soft smile as she walked towards the front door.

Keosha's mind was buzzing as her dad and step-mom escorted Pomona Sprout out.

 _"I guess it's Professor Sprout now."_ , she thought to herself with a chuckle.

Keosha looked forward to that new chapter in life. She might have been disillusioned to quite a few of life's ways but it the new start was refreshing.

 **A/N:  
** **Hi all! I'm Koko! Yeah, like the character. The character is based on me, although we aren't completely the same. *Snape voice* Obviously. Anyway! There might be a few tense shifts(is that what they are called?), it would be really nice if you could point them out and where. Also, any opinion and ways to improve my writing will be greatly appreciated. I write a lot but I don't post that many of my works, partly because I'm too lazy and partly because of me being scared of peoples opinions. Now, I don't know what else to write other than that all the chapters in Koko's POV are written by me. Oh, and I'm not the only author of this story. Read on to see my partner's work...**

 **See ya!  
-K**


	2. The Letter, Ella

**The Letter**

The day her letter came, Marie-Gabrielle "Ella" Asplund was having lunch at the Burrow.

The hot July sun was streaming through the open windows and the sky was a clear, cloudless blue. The twins and Bill were competing to see who could filch the most strawberries from the bowl in the center of the table without being caught by their mother. Percy looked up from the book he had smuggled under the tablecloth and eyed the decreasing pile of fruits suspiciously. He caught Ella's eye, and they grinned at each other. Eight-year-old Ginny pulled Ella's sleeve to catch her attention. "Are we going to your house after lunch?" asked the little redhead. Ella ruffled her friend's hair. "Maybe we are. Or we could go strawberry-picking again if you like." Charlie leaned discreetly over the table towards them. "You might need to." he said, nodding at the now nearly empty bowl. Following their gaze, Mrs. Weasley swelled ominously. "Boys - " she began.

A scratching sound from the windowsill interrupted her and made them all jump. A quartet of tawny owls, one of which was carrying two letters, had just landed in various positions around the window. The largest one gave a polite sort of hoot to Errol, who ruffled his feathers sleepily. "Those must be your Hogwarts letters." said Mrs. Weasley, collecting them. "Yours is here too, deary," she added to Ella, handing it to her. Ella thanked Mrs. Weasley politely, feeling a tremor of excitement as she opened her letter. It was identical to Fred and George's, who were also starting that year, except for the name. It felt odd to receive such a formal letter, and odder still to be referred to as "Ms. Asplund", but it was also a very pleasant sensation. Ella allowed herself a small smile as she scanned the supply list, which she had first read (or rather, struggled to read) at the age of three, when Bill had gotten his first letter.

"I wonder who the Defense teacher is this year." Percy murmured. Ella looked up in surprise. "You mean we get different ones each year?" she asked, dismayed. Percy nodded glumly. "It's been terribly inconsistent, and I've had to work a lot independently to make up for it." he said. "Not that anyone else does." he added in an undertone. Ella grinned. "I will. I'd hate to fall behind." she told him earnestly. Percy scoffed. "You've been perusing all of Bill's old textbooks since you were old enough to read. Take my word for it, you'll have top grades." Ella felt her cheeks become very warm and hoped against hope that she wasn't blushing. "Tell me more about the Hogwarts staff." she said, in a brusque attempt to change the subject. Percy furrowed his brows. "You never told me why we get a new Defense teacher each year." she prompted. Bill spoke from behind them, startling Ella. "The job's cursed." he said, brushing his hair out of his face. "Rubbish." scoffed Fred - or was it George? No, it was Fred, Ella decided - with a scornful expression on his face. "How could it be?" asked George, looking equally skeptical, though Ella thought he seemed a little less convinced.

By now the whole family was listening to their conversation, even Ron seemed interested. Bill turned to his father. "Dad, how many teachers have been employed at Hogwarts for the DADA post?". Arthur Weasley chuckled, rubbing his nose as he thought about it. "I'm not sure, but none of them lasts any longer than the school year." Ella thought about it for a moment. "They are _good_ , though?" she asked uncertainly. The Weasley parents exchanged a glance. "Well… For the most part." said Molly, looking suspiciously like she was trying to hide a smile. "Anyways," she continued, changing the subject, "do you think you could meet us in Diagon Alley tomorrow?" Ella nodded. "I'm sure my parents could drop me off there on their way to work." Ella's mother was a Romanian-Canadian muggle engineer, and her father was a Swedish wizard who worked at the Department of International Magical Cooperation. They had been neighbours and close friends with the Weasley family for as long as Ella could remember.

 **A/N:  
Hello, I'm Elle and in case you haven't figured it out, I am the co-author of this story and Ella is based on me and I am the writer for all of Ella's POVs. I'm sorry for this short and abrupt AN, but I am very tired.**

 **Bye  
-E**


	3. D-Day, Koko

**D-Day**

Keosha stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a pair of jeans, an Aerosmith shirt, a pair of Doc Martens and a simple string choker. She looked pretty plain if you asked her. She was short and had a dull face. Nothing that stands out. Maybe her eyelashes are better than a few peoples, but nothing else. She sighed, it was finally the day she was waiting for. September 1st. The first day of her new start. She was excited but at the same time was so darn nervous.

She had decided to wear her "lucky outfit", although it was more comfortable than actually lucky. Aerosmith was a band that she grew up listening to, they were her go-to music for when she was on one of her off-day's. The jeans were well worn and so were her boots, and the chocker was because she almost always needed to have a choker with her outfit. And finally, she had her ring. she always wore it whether it matched or not. It had three dolphins, two going facing one way and the third facing the other. It was the only thing that she had that reminded her of her mother, at least before her mother became hateful to anything and everything, including Keosha.

" _Get yourself together, Koko! You can't stay here forever, no matter how much you want to. It's not good to get stuck in your own head and fears. You need to woman up!"_

She took one last look at herself, turned around, and walked out of her room. She went downstairs into the living room where her best friend, Spencer, was waiting for her. She was glad she was taking this journey with him. She couldn't imagine anyone better to take it with. He was her everything. Her platonic soulmate. People always thought that they were dating, and she could see why, but both she and Spencer only had platonic feelings for each other.

"What's troubling your crazy head now?", and an amused voice broke her out of her reverie. She laughed. Spencer was standing behind her with a small smirk on his face. He was taller than her, she reached his nose. He had piercing blue eyes and wavy brown hair that reached his chin. He was thin but not wiry.

"Nothing much. Just thinking about what's in store for us."  
"Well, we won't know until we actually begin the journey right? So let's go!"  
"Alright! Alright! Geesh…"

They both grabbed their trunks and made their way out of the house and into Keosha's dad's car. Towards their future.


	4. D-Day, Ella

**D-Day**

Ella admired her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She ran a hand through her pixie-cut, ruffling her mousy hair. "Mousy". She let her hand drop from her head and bit her lip. Her hair was healthy, thick and neat, but the color was an indefinable in-between of blonde and brown. Ella liked to think of it as "dark blonde", as it sounded rather less dull to her.

She looked at her eyes. Ella's eyes were, in her opinion, her best feature. She liked how unique they were, two large grey-green-blue puddles set _just perfectly_ apart (in her opinion anyway). On her worse days, Ella would think them to be squinty and too small, but she rarely had "worse days" as far as her face was concerned. Why would she? Many people complimented her looks, and after spending some time in front of a mirror, Ella could see why. She began to be more mindful of how her peers looked and dressed and constantly compared herself to them.

Ella had never thought herself to be a stunning beauty. Indeed, she was not. Pretty, yes, with her button nose and rosebud lips, but not attractive in the haughty, angular way she yearned to be. Her short hair and large glasses, with their thin silvery frame, weren't exactly flattering either. They went surprisingly well with her clothes though, she thought as she smoothed her dress lovingly down over her knees. With one last look at the girl in the mirror, she grasped the door handle and stepped out of her bathroom for the last time that year.

She tried to be especially mindful of the hall as she walked down it, to take in every last detail of her beloved home. For eight years, Ella had dreamt of this day, of her departure to Hogwarts, she had almost forgotten that she would be leaving a large chunk of her life behind. A small smile played at her lips at the irony of it, but her chin trembled a little. Her eyes prickled uncomfortably as they travelled over the familiar books and ornaments on the shelves, and when they landed on her parents' beloved snow globe, her throat tightened painfully. A warm hand squeezed her shoulder and Ella looked up into her mother's warm brown eyes. "I love you, mommy.", she said and hugged her tightly.

What felt like an eternity later, she made her way down the stairs, clutching her trunk. She would go to King's Cross with the Weasleys because her parents were too busy that day to do so themselves. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face pale, but she was already feeling a little better than before. She glanced at her reflection in the entrance hall's mirror and pushed her glasses up her nose. This small gesture was so familiar it almost brought her comfort.

Slipping on her favorite pair of black flats, Ella felt some of her old excitement trickle back into her heart. Yes, she would miss her home. But she'd return soon enough. At Hogwarts, a whole new world awaited. Well, she corrected herself, _almost_ entirely new. Ella had to admit, she was quite glad the Weasleys also attended Hogwarts. Even the twins, evil little rascals that they were with their crazy pranks. The thought of a certain bespectacled redhead actually managed to lift the corners of her mouth.


	5. A Silent Meeting, Ella

**A Silent Meeting**

Platform 9 ¾ was unsurprisingly packed with people. Mrs. Weasley gave each of them a bone-cracking hug. "Now, boys, do behave yourselves properly," she told the twins, "take care of yourselves, and listen to your brother." Placing a kiss on Percy's forehead, she addressed a few words to him that Ella didn't hear over the buzz of the crowd.

Casting an eye around, she caught sight of a girl standing on her own nearby. Ella's immediate impression was of a fawn, or some other fragile, innocent creature. The girl was wearing jeans, a crop top, Doc Martens, and a black string choker, but the bold outfit contrasted with her diminutive frame and rounded shoulders. The girl had very big, wide-set brown eyes, and a nervous expression tightened her features.

At that moment, she looked up, straight at Ella. Ella gave her an easy smile and a tiny wave. Before the unknown girl had time to react, Mrs. Weasley moved back into Ella's frame of vision and claimed her attention. "Ella, could I ask you to keep an eye on my sons for me?" she asked solemnly. "Not just Fred and George. Percy as well. I want to know if he is following a healthy schedule." Ella grinned and hugged her. "Of course, Mrs. Weasley." she said warmly.

After saying goodbye one last time, Ella and the twins followed Percy through the milling throng. A square-jawed boy with broad shoulders waved at Percy, and Ella recognized him as Oliver Wood, whom she had met twice before already. The four of them managed to find a compartment somewhere at the front of the Hogwarts Express, and Ella felt extremely grateful to escape the hubbub of excited voices. A moment later, however, the mass began boarding the train. Outside the compartment, Percy was talking very fast to the twins - had they _already_ done something to merit a scolding?! - so Ella took advantage of the distraction to bag a window seat. Glancing outside, she noticed the doe-eyed girl with the dark clothes still standing on the platform. She was no longer alone however, and appeared deep in conversation with a scruffy-looking boy.

"Ella?" She tore her gaze from the platform. Percy had sat down beside her and was looking concerned. "Are you alright?" he asked her. She blinked once, rapidly. "I'm sorry your parents couldn't make it today." he continued, and Ella felt a pang. Truth be told, their absence had bothered her more than she wanted to admit to herself. She mumbled something noncommittal, even though she knew Percy wouldn't back down. He was like his mother in that way. "They really wanted to, you know," he said, moving a little closer to her. "But they didn't." she whispered, the words falling from her lips like raindrops from a heavy cloud. "I know they love me, and… Well, you know. Cherish me. I can see it in my father's eyes and feel it in my mother's hugs. I can sense it in the way they keep pushing me to learn because they want me to be successful in life. I just there was more time in the world." She rubbed her nose and looked into Percy's blue eyes. He blinked sympathetically and his arm twitched slightly, almost as though he wanted to reach out to her physically. Ella knew intuitively he wouldn't but felt comforted by the small gesture anyway.

The twins (where had they been?) slammed the compartment door open noisily and plonked themselves down on the seats opposite their brother and Ella. Almost at the same time, the Hogwarts Express jolted forwards, officially beginning their journey. A strange bubble of mingled emotions seemed to pop in Ella's chest, and she felt a bizarre desire to laugh. For the first time in a very long time, she felt free. She let Fred and George's excited chatter fade into the background, her wide eyes absorbing the picturesque landscape that had begun flashing by outside. Next to her, Percy had resumed the lecture of his book.

At that moment, a knock rattled the compartment door.


	6. The Train Ride, Koko

**_A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading! I know this chapter is really long compared to the other chapters but it is hard for us to keep a consistent length to our chapters. Anyways we would love if you wonderful readers left a review and any advice on how to improve our story. Thank you!_**

 ** _-K_**

 ** _P.S. This is the first of K's chapters that I did any work on! - E_**

 **The Train Ride**

Koko and Spencer had gotten on to the train and were now trying to find a compartment to sit in. Most of them seemed packed and Koko was a bit apprehensive to sit in some of the others that weren't, the students occupying them either looked like they would eat her alive or they looked like they would be all sweet, and sugary, like the bullies in her previous school. She and Spencer had almost lost their faith in finding a compartment when they stumbled upon a one with 4 people, 3 red-headed boys and a brunette girl. Koko immediately recognised the girl, she was the one from the platform. She was a bit scared, this girl had seen her when she was nervous, but she squared her shoulders. She couldn't let another moment of weakness show. Besides, the girl had smiled at her. She turned to Spencer.

" Let's go in there. We'll just have to deal with it if we don't like them."

"Sure. But, I really hope that they are people we can trust because it would be nice to have someone we can rely on in our new journey."

Koko turned back and knocked. A second later The door opened and revealed one of the red-headed twins. He was tall, but then again everyone was compared to her. He had blue eyes, kind of like Spencer's but a shade lighter. Spencer's eyes were an electric blue and were piercing and distrustful, at least at first, and also had a layer of eternal sorrow. The boy's eyes, on the other hand, were like the ocean and were happy, like someone who was used to laughing every day. Koko felt a twinge of envy, envy that someone could manage to see the light in everything when she struggled with that.

"Hello, what can we do for you?", he asked.

"We were wondering if we could stay with you on the train ride. We've got nowhere else to go."

"Of course!"

He then moved out of the way and opened the door wider to let them in. Spencer went in first and Keosha followed. The boy then shut the door. Spencer had a smile on his face while Keosha's was blank. They both waved and sat down opposite two red-headed boys, one who was most likely the twin of the boy who opened the door, and the girl.

Keosha hadn't gotten a good look at the girl's appearance on the platform but she had reminded her a little of Alice in Wonderland. She had a slightly naive, earnest look about her and her clothes were not helping: a pale blue dress (that in Koko's opinion was outdated, but it did suit the girl) with puffed sleeves and a white collar. The only things that were missing were the white apron and the headband. The girl had brownish hair in a pixie cut and really pretty green eyes that were framed by thin, oval-shaped glasses. She was also a head or so taller than Keosha. The girl smiled widely, revealing white, even teeth and said,

"That's a really nice ring. I've never seen a design quite like it before."

"Thank you very much. It was from my mom, she had it specially made.", Keosha replied with a smile tinged with a bit of sadness. "My name is Keosha Vani, by the way. What's yours?"

"Do you want the whole thing or the pronounceable nickname?", she said wryly, answering after a breath. "Unless you're French or have a burning desire to mispronounce my name - the two happen to be mutually exclusive - you should call me Ella."

"Way to give her a headache Ells!", the twins chortled

Keosha's expression was bemused. She had never met anyone that talked equally as much with their hands as with their mouth. She didn't appreciate the way Ella had introduced herself, it felt slightly rude, but Keosha wouldn't mention it. The twins, on the other hand, were clearly pranksters, it was as obvious as the fact that she was short. As she and Spencer sat down opposite each other, she said:

"It takes quite a bit more than that to give me a headache, actually, but I don't think I know your names yet."

"These two insufferable hooligans," Ella started, "are Fred and George Weasley. All I'll say is, don't get on their bad side. And this," she indicated the third boy, a bespectacled teenager who was sitting next to her, "is Percy. He's Fred and George's brother and is two years older than us."

"Pleasure to meet you.", Keosha said with a small smile. "This giant puppy," she said pointing at Spencer, "is Spencer Mcgee". She noticed Ella biting back a grin.

"Hiya!", Spencer waved cheerfully and then glared at Keosha. "I'm not a puppy!"

"Yes, you are!"

" _Pabo!_ ", Spencer pouted (Idiot)

" _Mweorago?!_ ", Keosha glowered (What did you say/What)

"Koko is a _pabo_ ", Spencer said, enunciating each word

" _Ya!_ ", Keosha shouted." _Jjinjja michingeotta!_ " (Ya, you are really driving me crazy!)

Everything got pin-drop silent after that when suddenly Keosha and Spencer started howling like a pack of hyenas with laughter. The rest of the compartment stared in confusion and mild shock. Ella arched an eyebrow at the same time as Percy's mouth plopped open in a perfect "O". The twins, however, exchanged an intrigued glance. One of them- George, Keosha thought, but wasn't sure, asked,

"What language was _that_?"

"Korean.", Keosha answered calmly whilst Spencer just smirked.

"Where did you learn it?", asked Percy. Ella leaned slightly forward, interested as well.

"Well, Koko here was curious and wanted to learn a new language and I joined her because I was bored. Plus, we both wanted a language to speak between ourselves, a language not many people in England would be able to understand.", Spencer explained. Percy raised both eyebrows, impressed, and Ella smiled almost lazily. "Well, I have to admire your dedication," she said.

Keosha just smiled at her politely. She found the way the other girl said that patronising, but couldn't really explain why. It frustrated her, not knowing the reason.

"Little Miss Robot here speaks French, Romanian _and_ Swedish fluently, on top of her already impeccable English. Honestly, she and Percy would be a match made in heaven.", Fred said, as if in answer, whilst rolling his eyes. A faint yet noticeable blush crept up Ella's cheeks, and Keosha raised her eyebrows.

"Nice. I know Swedish as well, but my writing and understanding skills are a whole lot better than my speaking. Quite frankly, my oral skills are garbage. I only learnt it because of one of my mom's ex-boyfriends. I can also hold a conversation in Spanish and of course, I am fluent in my own mother tongue, Telugu, which is a south-Indian language. It is really important in Indian culture to know the language that your family speaks. Spence on the other hand only knows English and Korean. He understands very little Russian only because his mom is Russian.", Keosha said.

"I just never bothered to lean it. The only Russian I know is Swear words and how to say hello. ", Spencer said, accompanying his explanation with a smile and shrug.

"It's nice to meet another polyglot. People these days just don't understand the fun of learning languages!", Ella exclaimed with a laugh like a silver bell ringing.

She opened her mouth as if to continue talking, but something outside caught her eye, and she pressed her face to the window.

"Oh!", she gasped, entranced. "Isn't that the loveliest thing you'd ever see?", she sighed, her dilated pupils fixed on a blue loch, its surface shimmering in the morning sun. Her slim fingers twisted the pretty charm bracelet she was wearing around her wrist. When she finally tore her wide green eyes away from the nature scene, Ella smiled - almost apologetically. "I'm afraid I rather have a tendency to go into ecstasies over pretty things.", she said, addressing herself to Keosha and Spencer.

Keosha "hmmed". She couldn't help but think that maybe Ella wasn't like everyone else and that although she seemed a bit vain, a trait that Keosha disliked, Ella would make a good and trustworthy friend. The Twins were fun, Keosha had always had a soft spot for pranksters and red-heads. Percy…well, she didn't really have an opinion about him. He seemed like an overly studious and rule-abiding person. She just hoped that he realised that having fun is an important factor in life.

Keosha wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings but she was broken out of her reverie when she heard loud laughter from the twins, and when she turned focused she saw that Ella was blushing. It seemed to her that they loved teasing Ella, and people in general - especially their family and those they considered family.

"Is Hogwarts the only wizarding school?", Keosha heard Spencer ask. She was dumbfounded and stared at him in disbelief. She shook her head slowly and then smacked him on the head hard.

"Seriously?! Do you have a brain?! Honestly, it doesn't make sense that Hogwarts is the only school! It's not like the UK is the only country on this planet! Aish…!", Keosha's voice was high pitched in her disbelief of Spencer's stupidity but she ended her comment with a sigh.

Ella giggled while Percy just smiled awkwardly. He started to explain,

"Well, there are schools all-"

"Our eldest brother, Bill, had a pen friend from Brazil. His name was Abel-something or other.", Fred interrupted. "Bill owled him all the time."

"Yes,", Ella continued. "There is also a school in Sweden, although I don't quite recall what it was called though. Something with "Týr" in it. He's the god of wisdom, you know, in Norse mythology. My father was awfully disappointed that I chose Hogwarts over it, as it was his alma mater. But mother insisted as we plan on staying in the UK, and she wants me to be better acquainted with the Wizarding laws here."

"Ahh. That makes sense. And I do know about Týr. I'm kind of a mythology geek, a huge one. Although, I mainly focus on Greek, Roman and Egyptian, and of course Indian. Can't forget my own heritage.", Keosha said.

"Oh, how lovely, a like-minded fanatic. Although I find Babylonian and Asian myths fascinating too." Ella answered with a smile. "Oh, I say!" she exclaimed, glancing at her watch in alarm. "We'd better go and change into our school clothes!"


	7. The Boat Ride, Ella

**The Boat Ride**

Ella twisted her head around, trying to see how the back of her robes looked. "These _bed-sheets_ ", she muttered irritably "have to be the most _im_ practical, _un_ attractive and _un_ comfortable clothes I have ever had the misfortune of wearing!" Keosha giggled. They were both clad in the Hogwarts uniform, complete with the set of school robes, and were looking very smart indeed - by wizarding standards, at least. Much as she loved skirts, Ella felt a wave of annoyance each time the hem of hers brushed her legs. The cloth was unbearably rough and felt like ants were crawling up her thighs. The blouse accompanying it was barely any more comfortable, its newly-starched, stiff collar rasping like fingernails on the sensitive skin of her throat.

"I shall very much miss wearing my own clothes." she sighed as she attempted to fold in mid-air the dress she had been wearing. Her companion scoffed "Tell me about it! I utterly _loathe_ skirts and such." Ella, ever analytical, had guessed as much from Keosha's garb and demeanour, but let a mild expression of surprise shape her brows. She didn't want Keosha to misinterpret her detail-oriented observation as judgemental, as the other girl might feel affronted. "I have no problem whatsoever with the uniform itself or its design - apart from how awfully drab it is.", she replied in her usual, blunt manner. "The fabrics used, however, are _abominable_! Who in their right mind wears wool clothes in the summer months, anyway?" Giving up on her dress, she stuffed it into the satchel she had slung over a shoulder and made a mental note to fold it properly once they got to Hogwarts.

As they made their way back to their compartment, Ella remembered a question she had forgotten to ask Keosha earlier. "You and your friend, Spencer, do either of you have magic in your family? You seem to be very close." As the words tumbled out, Ella reflected that her question wasn't grammatically correct and that the statement following it had little relation to the matter, but decided not to dwell on the issue. Keosha, for her part, seemed rather surprised at the question. "Neither of us have magical parents if that's what you're asking." Rubbing her nose, she continued, "And as for being close, well, we've been neighbours and friends for years." Ella frowned, her eyebrows constricting in mild confusion. "How bizarre," she commented, pushing her glasses up her nose. "I've never heard of muggleborns living so close together. It seems quite odd. To the best of my knowledge - and I _do_ know quite a lot, if I do say so myself - they're considered to be quite rare." Seeing Keosha's bemused expression, she decided to push it to the back of her mind and changed the subject.

"Sorry if I seem rather obnoxious at times," she said with one of her easy, charming smiles. "The Weasleys have done their best to domesticate me, but I'm afraid I have a tendency to bulldoze straight through other people at times." As poor a joke as that was, it got a laugh out of the doe-eyed girl. She asked Ella "How did you get to know them? The Weasleys, I mean." Ella smirked, this time abstaining from flashing her companion with her perfect denture. "We've been neighbours and friends for years," she replied, throwing Keosha's words back at her. As they both laughed, a little fizz of happiness buzzed in her fingertips - although why specifically fingertips, she couldn't tell, perhaps due to the abundance of nerve endings in them. Ella sincerely began to hope that Keosha would be in the same house as her, as she seemed quite nice and apparently appreciated Ella's rather dry humour.

They reached their compartment soon after and were greeted by the sight of a slightly disgruntled Spencer and twins, and a saintly-looking Percy, all of whom were dressed in the school uniform. Ella felt a rush affection for the eldest Weasley present. _"He looks quite dapper in those robes…"_ she thought, and all of a sudden felt underdressed and exposed despite all of the layers she was wearing, like a chicken whose feathers had been plucked. Fortunately, Spencer provided a welcome distraction from her awkwardness, his face breaking into a crooked grin as his eyes fell on Keosha. "Koko! You look ridiculous!".

" _Koko..."_ Keosha had a nickname too, then, it seemed. The person in question glared at her friend, and shot something back at him in rapid Korean, no doubt a retort along the lines of "So do you, so shut up!". What would have happened next, if the trolley witch hadn't arrived at that very moment, Ella couldn't guess. As it was, Keosha sat down smartly in Spencer's lap, much to the amusement of the twins, and bought herself and Spencer a Cauldron Cake each. The Weasleys purchased nothing, and neither did Ella - not because she couldn't afford to or didn't enjoy sweets, but because she always felt guilty about spending money around any of the Weasleys.

To distract herself, she took out her wand and turned it over in her slim fingers. It was not of British make, and as such looked very different from any she had seen before, other than her father's. She had gotten it in Birka, an island close to Stockholm that was teeming with ancient magic from the Viking era. Her Ollivander wand, ebony with a unicorn-hair core, 12 ¾" and with hard flexibility, lay unwrapped and unopened in her trunk. _"The wand chooses its wielder,"_ the wizened wandmaker had told her, in the dark, musty shop he called his own. Recalling his words now, Ella briefly wondered if her British wand felt offended at being second-best. "I know I would." she mused. But perhaps it understood that she somehow, in her heart, felt closer to her Swedish wand, with its pale wood inscribed with runes. At her father's request, the wand had been crafted with a unicorn hair core, as opposed to _huldra*_ hair, which would make it somewhat more docile when casting "English" spells.

Breaking out of her reverie, she realized that she was the only person not involved in a conversation. Fred and George had apparently taken it upon themselves to either put Keosha at ease, or put her in extreme peril of choking with laughter - the latter being the less likely intention yet most probable outcome. Meanwhile, Percy and Spencer were talking animatedly about Hogwarts. Her interest piqued, Ella decided to join their conversation.

"Now, Slytherin has the worst reputation of all houses," Percy was saying, "but not all members of this house are bad. You see, students sorted into Slytherin are characterized by their ambition, unscrupulous manner and cunning. These are unfortunately useful qualities for wizards who devote themselves to the use of Dark Arts, hence the popular opinion that Slytherin is an "evil" house." Spencer nodded, eyes wide. Ella looked at him through lowered lashes, wondering which house he would be in, and which he wanted.

She opened her mouth to ask him, but at that moment, the train reached the station and screeched to a halt. They all jumped to their feet. "Right, now, you first-years stick together, _do_ try not to get separated, you'll hear Hagrid calling for you all to line up the minute you disembark", Ella heard Percy say over a din of excited babbling. Grabbing her trunk, she followed the others out of the compartment and out on the platform. Outside, Ella found herself swept away in the mass of black cloaks and deafened by their happy chattering. She fought a wave of panic rising in her chest as she stood on tiptoe, trying in vain to spot the others. Relief swamped her as she heard a deep, gravelly voice calling out: "Firs' years! Line up over 'ere please! Firs' years!" and quickly located its source in a giant of a man holding a lantern. Ella instantly recognized him as Hagrid, thanks to the multiple descriptions she had received of him over the years.

A line of children had already begun forming, the twins, Keosha and Spencer among them. Ella wove through the crowd to join them, making judicious use of her elbows to clear herself a path. She managed to squeeze in behind Keosha and Spencer and ended up beside another girl, whom she threw a small smile at. "You don't mind if I squish in here beside you, do you?" asked Ella, her smile still on her lips. The other girl returned it. "No, it's alright." Ella blinked rapidly in astonishment. "Golly, you sound _posh_!" she exclaimed. The other girl laughed. "I'm _The Honourable_ Amanda Connington-Doyle," she said, less as an introduction and more as a means by which to explain her refined speech. Ella would have gaped, but she had been brought up to consider it "unladylike". Instead, she gave a gasping sort of laugh. "I'm Marie-Gabrielle Asplund, so I suppose that makes two of us with pretentious names - even though only one is actually an aristocrat." Amanda giggled. "Are your parents wizards, though?" asked Ella curiously, recalling various press clippings about them; the rich society lady Eugénie Doyle and her husband, Lord Hamish Connington. The other girl shook her head. "No. It was quite a shock to them to discover that I was, actually. They were very hesitant to send me here at first." She was about to say something else, but Hagrid bellowed at all of them to follow him. And so they did.

The rest of the journey to Hogwarts passed in a blur of wind and whispers. At one point, Ella remembered getting into a boat together with Amanda. The little boats ferried the first-years over the lake and through a curtain of ivy, which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out. Ella's feet slipped out from underneath her as she struggled to find a foothold on the wet rocks, and she clutched Amanda's arm to steady herself. The first-years were then shepherded up a flight of steps and - at last! - into the castle itself.

Hogwarts was every bit as impressive as it had been described, and Ella felt a rush of awe, excitement and anticipation that left her quite giddy. "I can't believe we're going to _live_ here!" she whispered out loud, her voice a little unsteady. Amanda nodded. In the well-lit hall, Ella could finally see her clearly: a distinguished-looking girl, fair-skinned with a smattering of freckles across her long, thin nose, which was rounded at the end. She had almond-shaped brown eyes, framed with long, thick, dark lashes, and straight hair just a shade darker than her irises. Her least attractive feature was her thin, chapped lips.

At that moment, the twins materialized from the crowd, along with Spencer and Keosha. "Where have you been?" asked Fred, looking a little cross. "You know Percy will chew our ears off if he finds out that we didn't keep an eye on you _every single minute_ of the journey!" his twin added. "Well, then you'd better hope he doesn't." retorted Ella, slightly nettled. "Anyways," she said, changing the subject, "I'd like you to meet Amanda." Introductions were rapidly made, Keosha and Spencer sizing up this other muggle-born, so different from them, with a reserved sort of manner. Ella had the strangest feeling that they disliked her.

END OF CHAP 5

This jet-black wand wood has an impressive appearance and reputation, being highly suited to all manner of combative magic, and to Transfiguration. Ebony is happiest in the hand of those with the courage to be themselves. Frequently non-conformist, highly individual or comfortable with the status of outsider, ebony wand owners have been found both among the ranks of the Order of the Phoenix and among the Death Eaters. In my experience, the ebony wand's perfect match is one who will hold fast to his or her beliefs, no matter what the external pressure, and will not be swayed lightly from their purpose. Unicorn hair generally produces the most consistent magic and is least subject to fluctuations and blockages. Wands with unicorn cores are generally the most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts. They are the most faithful of all wands, and usually remain strongly attached to their first owner, irrespective of whether he or she was an accomplished witch or wizard. Minor disadvantages of unicorn hair are that they do not make the most powerful wands (although the wand wood may compensate) and that they are prone to melancholy if seriously mishandled, meaning that the hair may 'die' and need replacing

My wand: A wand for good times and bad, this is a friend as loyal as the wizard who deserves it. Wands of English oak demand partners of strength, courage and fidelity. Less well-known is the propensity for owners of English oak wands to have powerful intuition, and, often, an affinity with the magic of the natural world, with the creatures and plants that are necessary to wizardkind for both magic and pleasure. The oak tree is called King of the Forest from the winter solstice up until the summer solstice, and its wood should only be collected during that time

This is the rarest core type. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn or dragon cores to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality that many witches and wizards dislike. Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalise, and their allegiance is usually hard won.

Ella felt a small stab of confusion. Stab was mayhaps the incorrect word, she thought, correcting herself, as it felt more like a thick, woolly mist seeping into her brain and impeding her from thinking.FOR LATER

/a-nordic-version-of-harry-potter-1756516804

r/harrypotter/comments/43gaiw/scandinavian_school_of_magic/

"As a Scandinavian, this has always irked me. You're absolutely right. J-Ro describes it as being in northern Norway or Sweden, obviously thinking the mountainous landscapes can hide a castle (like Scotland). The thing is, Scandinavia is larger than Britain, and putting a school up there is not equivalent to putting it in Scotland.

First off, the language barriers. We don't speak the same language all over Scandinavia. Norwegians and Swedes understand each other quite well (not taking all regional accents into account), but some have a harder time understanding Danish, and Finnish is as close to the others as is Turkish. Now add Bulgarian and Russian to the mix, and it just won't work at all.

Secondly, the distance. I live in Sweden, but putting Durmstrang in the far north of Scandinavia would mean it's as far away from me as southern France or Spain. And from Bulgaria, it's the same distance as Egypt. Hell, we'd probably do better in Beauxbatons, because either French, German or Spanish are compulsory classes in middle school around here.

Durmstrang is brilliant as a sort of Dark Arts school, but it makes no sense at all as being a Scandinavian school - let alone the Scandinavian equivalent to Hogwarts.

I think there should be a southern Scandinavian school on an island, like Gotland in Sweden, which is a likely origin of the Goths, or The Blue Maiden, which is a meeting place for witches in traditional Swedish folklore."

I think there should be a school either in Gotland or somewhere up north in Sweden or Norway, and there would be no houses and it wouldn't be very big either (considering the size of the population). Also less racially diverse but muggle studies would be mandatory (but doesn't mean that some people actually listen). Should we bring up Hitler? It's isn't very long after WW2 that HP takes place. And WW2 affected a lot of people. Probably wizarding folk too even though ppl didn't know that. Grading system would be similar to muggles I think….


	8. The Sorting, Ella

**The Sorting, Ella**

"Allen, Miranda"

Ella gave a sigh of relief. _"I'll probably be next."_ she thought, breathing a prayer of thanks for alphabetically-ordered lists. She thoroughly disliked not being among the first to do something, often taking the words "Best get it over with" as a saying to live by. After one minute and thirty-four seconds exactly (according to Ella's watch, at least), Miranda Allen was pronounced a Hufflepuff. Beaming all over her flushed face, the girl skipped off to sit at her table, where her housemates were clapping and cheering. She sat down next to a girl who looked so like her that Ella took the liberty to assume that they were sisters or even cousins.

"Asplund, Marie-Gabrielle"

Ella felt a sudden rush of fear but swallowed it, and trotted up to the stool. Her heart was beating too hard, like a captive bird inside her chest, pounding her sternum violently, trying to escape, so loud she felt certain everyone could hear it. Then, as she sat down and pulled the Sorting Hat over her eyes, she felt a bizarre tranquillity wash over her and realized that, up till then, she had been trembling like a leaf. All her adrenaline, all her anticipation, seemed to have evaporated, leaving her with nothing but a very vague sense of apprehension.

" _ **Well, well, well. I wonder where to put**_ **you** _ **."**_ buzzed a languid voice in her ear. _"Somewhere that I can thrive, not strive"_ , she begged. The Hat chuckled _**"You know what you want, but what do you have?**_ A contemplative sort of silence filled her head. _ **You are hardworking, yes, with a good sense of right and wrong, but you lack Hufflepuffs' unwavering stability."**_ The voice paused, its owner seemingly deep in thought. _ **"You like to observe, to question, to create - perhaps Ravenclaw is the home you seek."**_ _"I could do worse."_ she mused but was ignored as the Hat, after a brief deliberation, continued. _ **"Yet you are too shrewd, too ambitious for that, I ought to put you in Slytherin, except that you could not lie your way out of a paper bag."**_ To this remark, she almost spluttered with indignation and was again disregarded. _**"Loyalty and bravery, Gryffindor traits well worth admiring - but where is your daring?"**_ Ella, who was feeling more than just slightly miffed, attempted to interject, but the Hat swept on. _**"Oh, well. One can only hope that a few years will bring it out… GRYFFINDOR!"**_ it bellowed the last word out.

Relieved, Ella yanked the tatty thing off and joined her table with a bright smile. She was so relieved and happy she felt she might be glowing with it, almost as though someone had lit a candle in her heart. She slid in next to Percy, who smiled and gave her hand a small squeeze. Turning back to watch the Sorting, she caught Keosha's eye. The short girl looked terrified, so Ella mouthed "It's going to be fine", which seemed to calm her only a little. George, who was nearby, murmured a few words that appeared to soothe her more.

"Connington-Doyle, Amanda" called Professor McGonagall. Ella watched with interest as Amanda stepped up. The brunette looked somehow fragile and vulnerable, despite her straight back and aloof expression. To Ella's great surprise, the Hat needed only forty-seven seconds to determine that Amanda was a Slytherin. A _Slytherin_! Ella's eyes widened with shock as the fact fully settled in. A _muggle-born_ Slytherin! Amanda, however, was oblivious to the significance of this and looked pleased as she sat down. In her heart, Ella wished her good luck.

As the Sorting resumed, the names of students being sorted, as well as their appearances, welded together into a confused and disorganized mess in Ella's mind, only a few sticking out. Among those few were Angelina Johnson, a tall, well-built girl with skin the color of cocoa; Lee Jordan, a merry-looking boy, who was also dark and, like Ella and Angelina, a Gryffindor; Graham Montague, a bull-like Slytherin with interesting hazel eyes; and Zacharias Smith, a handsome but arrogant-looking Hufflepuff with curly blonde hair and a snub nose. Spencer McGee (Ella had to bite her cheek to not giggle at the memories his surname brought back) was declared a Gryffindor.

When Keosha was called up, Ella watched with interest. After her, only the twins remained, and it was no mystery to anyone who knew the Weasleys where _those two_ would end up. The brim of the Sorting Hat fell over Keosha's eyes, and Ella glanced at her watch. She counted exactly two minutes and fifty-seven seconds before the Hat roared "GRYFFINDOR!". Ella clapped as hard as she could, delighted, as Keosha scurried over and inserted herself beside Spencer. They all returned their attention to the conclusion of the Sorting.

"Frederick Weasley" and "George Weasley" soon joined the red-and-gold table, and Ella threw her arms around them, choking them into a hug. As the hubbub died down, Professor Albus Dumbledore - for the silver-bearded wizard now standing up could only be the headmaster himself - ran through a list of announcements: the Forbidden Forest was out of bounds to students (Ella smirked, knowing immediately that the twins would attempt to find a loophole to this rule); Dungbombs, Stinkpellets and so on were prohibited; tryouts for the Quidditch team would begin in two or three weeks time… Then, Dumbledore said something that made Ella's ears prick up in interest. "And now, I would like to welcome a new member of staff. This year, Professor Clanaghan will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. She is very well-travelled and experienced, and I'm certain she shall be an immediate success."

At the staff table, a young woman stood up and bowed theatrically as the students gave a round of polite applause. She was petite and slim, with a short bob of strawberry-blonde hair and brightly coloured, intricately patterned robes. Ella rather liked the look of her. "Her face has something bright about it." she thought. "She looks like someone I could trust." As Professor Clanaghan sat down, Dumbledore concluded his speech, welcoming them all to "a brand new year at Hogwarts!" and encouraging them to "tuck in!". Ella and Keosha, who was sitting across from her, exchanged a look of confusion that lasted half a second, as Ella's eyes fell on a platter of roast potatoes underneath the other girl's chin.

She immediately noticed that the whole table had magically become laden with a multitude of scrumptious-looking dishes: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, bacon, steak, joints, steak and kidney pie, boiled potatoes, more roast potatoes, mashed potato, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and peppermint humbugs. For dessert, blocks of assorted ice cream, apple pies, spotted dick, chocolate gateau, treacle tart, pumpkin tart, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, and rice pudding adorned ornate platters. The sheer amount of food, as well as the kaleidoscope of mouthwatering smells that came with it, briefly overwhelmed Ella, and all she could say was "Oh, my."

Seeing her face, Percy laughed. She grinned at him. "You never told me there would be so much food.", she said, her tone slightly accusatory. "Isn't it a pleasant surprise, though?" he said, almost teasingly. Ella marvelled at the change in him, she had rarely seen him so relaxed, so carefree. "Hey, Percy!" called someone, and they turned their heads towards the source of the cry, a sixth-year boy. "Where's Charlie?" he asked, leaning back in his seat a little to see them better. "Down with a nasty flu. He'll be back next week, mum reckons." Percy informed him. The eldest Weasley still attending Hogwarts, both a prefect and Quidditch Captain, was indeed in convalescence, and Ella knew he hated every minute of his confinement to the Burrow. The sixth-year, looking disappointed, thanked Percy.

"Oi! Ella! Are you deaf? Pass the pepper!" George nudged her with his foot. "Sorry!" she squeaked and handed it to him. Spencer observed their exchange with a queer sort of expression on his face. "I wish _I_ had siblings.", he said, a little wistfully. "Maybe then dealing with father would be easier.", he whispered, seemingly to himself. Ella was sure she hadn't been meant to hear his last sentence. "Being an only child has its benefits though, don't you feel?" she asked. "I guess I haven't discovered any then.", he replied, shrugging his thin shoulders. Ella felt her heart go out to him. "Then I'll make sure to invite you the next time the Weasleys have a de-gnoming or cleaning day.", she said, only half-joking. Fred, who up till then had been engrossed in a conversation with his twin and Lee Jordan, chuckled. "Do we even have any protective gear in case he gets in mum's way?"

Keosha jumped into the conversation. "I'm not sure what you mean by that, but if he stays overnight you'll definitely need to find a way to silence his snores!" she said, adding, "They sound like a train engine purring." Ella stifled the gale of laughter that was rising in her throat. "Good luck sleeping tonight then, boys." she teased. George shrugged. "Eh. We've gotten used to Percy, to tell you the truth, so I doubt Spencer will keep us awake." Their brother turned beet-red. "I _don't_ snore!" he muttered. "You know they're only joking.", said Ella soothingly, although she resolved to have a word or two with the twins in private. She disliked their thoughtless jibes, which could be quite cruel, especially when unprovoked. Oblivious to the small exchange, Spencer glared at Keosha. "I DO NOT snore. Not that bad at least." Keosha gave him a _look_. "I was right next to you! I couldn't sleep the whole night, for Pete's sake!" Ella raised her eyebrows so high she thought they must be touching her hairline. "And, why, pray tell, were you two so… um… close to each other in your… slumber?" she inquired, struggling to keep her voice steady and toneless. "We both were watching a movie when he fell asleep on my lap. I tried to sleep to but that failed miserably, and I couldn't lift him up off my lap, so…", Keosha explained.

Feeling mightily relieved, Ella asked "Which movie?" at the exact same time as the twins queried, in unison, "What's a "moo-vee"?". Equal parts amused and chagrined, Ella rolled her eyes, mouthing "wizards". She had explained to them several times the exact function of a TV, as well as the DVDs and VCRs. So far, out of all the Weasleys, Arthur, Bill and Percy had actually listened. Keosha grinned and said, "Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's Spence's and my all time favourite movie." Ella nodded, smiling as though she agreed with every word the other girl was saying, even though she hadn't actually seen the movie in question. She preferred the classics from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Women (1939) was one of her favourites. Percy and Bill preferred Cry Wolf (1947), starring Errol Flynn, who Ella's mother had had a crush on in her youth. They had sometimes had movie afternoons at Ella's house, usually when the others were playing Quidditch. Occasionally, Ron or Ginny or even Luna Lovegood would join them, but it was mostly just Ella and Percy (who, although they liked Quidditch, weren't avid athletes). Scooping up a spoonful of peas, she watched her aforementioned friend talking animatedly, pointing out various teachers to Spencer while Keosha was explaining to the twins what a "moo-vee" was.

Eyes drifting over the staff table, Ella realized that she already recognized most of the professors. The severe-looking witch at Dumbledore's right, for example, could only be Minerva McGonagall, in the same way, the thin, sour-faced man at the headmaster's left was beyond a doubt Professor Snape. To her great surprise, she didn't find him quite as unattractive as he had been described to her, just... bad-tempered-looking. His hair was in desperate need of a trim and wash, however. Looking past him, Ella also identified the diminutive Charms professor, Flitwick. She had a spot of trouble remembering the name of the Astronomy teacher, a tall woman with ebony-colored skin and eyes like black pearls. Sinistra, yes, Aurora Sinistra, she recalled at last.

A cry of surprise from Keosha startled her and she dropped her fork, while Angelina Johnson spilt gravy on the tablecloth. At the other tables, Ella heard similar shrieks and "Oooh"'s. Looking up, she gasped.

A procession of ghosts had entered the Great Hall. Some were swooping and cackling, turning cartwheels above the students' heads, while others glided gracefully to sit at the tables. Among these were a rotund man in a monk's habit - the Fat Friar - and a young man with a goatee, wearing an extravagant Elizabethan outfit - probably Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, if the ruff was of any indication. The latter floated over to the Gryffindors, beaming. "Blimey!" exclaimed George, before the ghost could say anything. "You're Nearly-Headless Nick, aren't you?" asked his twin excitedly. Sir Nicholas scowled, looking extremely affronted. "I am Sir Nichola-" he began, but another first year, a girl sitting next to Angelina, interrupted. "My mother told me all about you!" she said, eagerly. "Forty-five blows of the axe, was it?" The ghost - Ella decided she'd just refer to him as Nick - sighed mournfully. "Correct." he said. "Messy business indeed." Keosha, confused, asked, "What was messy?" Nick sniffed delicately and shuddered, as though he could not bear to answer. The other new girl - whose name was Alicia, if Ella remembered correctly - grimaced and drew a finger across her throat, miming Nick's decapitation.

Keosha's eyes widened, and she turned to stare at the ghost. "Wow! That's really fascinating. Although, whoever was swinging that axe must not have been very skilled at it. Forty-five blows and still not fully decapitated?" She shook her head. Privately, Ella thought it was less the executioner's prowess (or lack thereof) at fault, merely the bluntness of the instrument itself. Nick scoffed. "Half an inch of skin and sinew! Nothing more keeps my cranium tethered to the rest of me." he declared, his head wobbling slightly. This made his long, dark hair ripple like waves, and Ella felt a bizarre urge to touch it, to twine her fingers in the translucent curls, to see if she could hold down air. Instead, she averted her gaze, turning it towards the Slytherin table and seeking out Amanda. She found her friend deep in conversation with The Bloody Baron, who looked just as horrific as the Weasley brothers had described. He would have been quite handsome, Ella thought, if not for his wildly staring eyes and ripped, blood-splattered robes, through which she could see his intestines. Amanda looked downright ill, and by the way she kept trying to avoid looking at her House's ghost Ella realized that it was the sight of blood that repulsed her. Other than that, she seemed to be settling in just fine. Satisfied by this fact, Ella joined a heated debate between Percy and Oliver Wood on Quidditch teams.

When the feast was over, all the first-years were rounded up and shepherded to their respective common-rooms. For Gryffindor, a 5th year prefect called Hailey Buhre led them all up several flights of stairs, before coming to stop in front of the portrait of a very large woman in a pink dress. "Password?" she drawled. "Sesquipedalian" the blonde prefect replied, to which the painting swung forwards like a door. The first years scrambled through the opening and into a plush, spacious room adorned with tapestries and hangings in different hues of scarlet. Everyone oohed and aahed over the opulent decor until Hailey directed the girls up one stairway and the boys up another.

Ella found herself in a dormitory with Keosha, Angelina, Alicia (whose last name turned out to be Spinnet) and a tall, skinny girl called Patricia Stimpson, who seemed to be long everywhere, from her pasty, horsy face, to her waist-length, dark hair. As if to make up for this, she had very round, pale blue eyes. Ella found her relatively pleasant, if shy and unattractive. The girls discovered that their trunks had been brought up to the dorm and were neatly under their beds. After the five minutes it took them to brush their teeth and change into their nightclothes (in Ella's case, a lacy white nightgown that looked straight out of the 1800's), all five girls were tucked up in bed. Ella's last thought, as she drifted off to sleep, was of the following morning, wondering which lesson they would have first.


	9. The End of a Day, Koko

_**A/N: Hey guys! The title for this chapter is a song by the kpop idol Jonghyun. He, unfortunately, committed suicide in December of 2017. Koko, as you will see a glimpse of in this chapter isn't in a very good mental state. If you are in any way struggling please don't hesitate to talk to either me or E (she's the best)*. Anyway! I know these past few chapters have been long but we do need to cover a lot more plot in one chapter if we want to keep this story at a reasonable number of chapters. I know some things are not accurate to the '80s, but we are trying our best so bear with us, please. Sorry for the long note and please leave a review. We would love to hear it.**_

 _ **\- K**_

 **The End of a Day**

Keosha laid in her bed staring blankly at the ceiling. The past few days had gone by so fast that she hadn't had time to think at all, which was probably a good thing if she was being honest. Her mind drifted to the events that had happened on that day. She had met some interesting people that she would like to know more, met ghosts, been on moving staircases. This day had been a whirlwind but the one memory that she kept coming back to, one that she would probably never forget, was her sorting. That was an experience, a quite uncomfortable one that she hoped would never happen again. Having someone go through your mind was one thing but knowing it and hearing them speak in your head was something else entirely. The words of the hat kept playing in her head, like a broken cassette player.

" _You don't have a studious mind that is fit for Ravenclaw."_

" _You are too distrusting for Hufflepuff."_

" _You lack the ambition for Slytherin."_

" _Gryffindor is the best choice, but I hope you learn to rely on others."_

Relying on others…..it seemed like such a foreign concept. Everyone that she has tried to rely on has left or hurt her in some way, except for Spencer, which to this day surprises her. Slowly, her thoughts went down the very familiar yet still as painful road to her insecurities and god-awful memories. This was not good. Nothing Keosha tried to do could stop that decent. Tears started slowly pouring down the side of her face. She tried her best to be quiet, so as to not to disturb the other girls in the dorm. All she ever wanted was people to hug her, hold her and not leave. She hated this crushing feeling of loneliness that she felt in her chest.

If this was just another night like in the past, she could climb out of the window, walk over to Spencer's house, call him from his window, and walk to their secret safe place. She couldn't do that now because it would make others misunderstand their relationship. She and Spencer were closer than most friends but that was only because they were each other's rock and helper in fighting their demons, both metaphorical and not.

Keosha carefully reached out to her coat that was beside her bed and took out the little book and the pen that were in the pocket. She took them everywhere, even if she didn't use them, the thought that they were there was comforting. Immediately, she started writing. She wrote about nothing and everything. She just wrote like her life depended on it, and maybe it did. Writing was Keosha's escape from her thoughts, from reality. It grounded her when she didn't have anyone to do that.

She kept on writing, it was just a bunch of random words strung together at this point but she didn't stop. She didn't stop until her eyes started burning. Only then did she put the pen and notebook aside. She looked at the time, it was 1:08 am. It was time to sleep, tomorrow was going to be a tiring day. She laid down once again and closed her eyes. Keosha descended into a fitful sleep, but it was sleep nonetheless.

Hopefully, tomorrow would be a better day.


	10. Debút, Ella

**Début, Ella**

To her slight annoyance, Ella woke up very early the following morning. Despite the drawn curtains, the darkness of night had filtered away to a pale morning haze. Sighing, she turned over on her stomach, feeling a rush of pleasure as the fabric of her nightgown caressed her skin. She stretched like a cat, then sat up, feeling restless. The ticking of the clock she had brought with her to school was calming in its uniformity. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. 4:27 became 4:28. _Why must time pass so slowly?_ she wondered idly, lying back down in her bed and gazing up at the canopy. Reaching over to her night-stand, she seized Anne of Green Gables - her favourite book - and felt thankful that she had thought to leave it there before going to bed, "just in case".

What felt like (and could have been, for all she knew) an eternity later, a soft rustling inserted itself between her half-dream half-book world and her immersion in it, like a metaphorical piece of grit in her heart's eye. Glancing towards its source, she saw Keosha, who had the bed next to hers, sitting up, bleary-eyed, and rubbing her face tiredly. On Ella's other side, Alicia's shoulders were rising and falling evenly, her light brown hair strewn all over her pillow like party streamers. Keosha yawned, and Ella inevitably felt the urge to do the same. Instead, she spoke softly, so as to not disturb the others. "Sleep well?" she asked with a small smile. The other girl shrugged. "Eh. You?" Ella's smile widened slightly. "It was good while it lasted" she replied, straightening up as well and turning to sit on the edge of her bed. Her small feet swung downwards, her toe-tips burying in the soft carpet.

Keosha yawned again, stretching. Her short, thin curls were comparable to a birds' nest, and the dim light seemed to magnify every imperfection on her epidermis. Then again, Ella doubted that anyone could present a flattering image at - she checked the clock - 5:16. Her own lips were dry as paper, and the bottom one had split at some point, leaving the salty, metallic taste of dried blood on her tongue. So much for beauty sleep, she thought, standing up and starting to make her bed, the soles of her feet feeling every fibre in the carpet. "Are you getting up already?" asked Keosha, as Ella tucked the corners of the sheet in. "Well, I believe breakfast starts as early as 6:45," said Ella, trying to recall everything Percy and Bill had told her, "so, I don't see why not." Leaving Keosha in bed, she went to the bathroom, where she brushed her teeth and washed her face. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she arranged her fringe to hide a small spot that had appeared on her forehead overnight. She wished she could do something about the bruise-like shadows under her eyes, but her mother had refused to let her bring even plain powder to school. Lucky, really, that her glasses covered them, even if the lenses drastically reduced the size of her eyes.

Her mouth tingling from the strong minty flavour of her toothpaste, she returned to the dorm, where she found Keosha getting dressed. The other girl had also made her bed (although not very neatly, if Ella had to be honest), and was now pulling on the white pair of stockings that were part of the uniform. Ella joined her and had just finished buckling her right shoe - half of a pair of extremely plain black Mary Janes, without even the hint of a heel - when Angelina Johnson began stirring. The footwear for female Hogwarts students was, surprisingly, the most comfortable part of their uniform, a fact that Ella remarked as she was fastening her wristwatch. She touched her earlobes with her fingertips, a quick verification that her earrings, which she slept in, were still in their place and well-fastened.

Together, the two girls made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast, chattering about lessons - or rather, Ella talked and Keosha listened. It didn't seem to bother Keosha, Ella remarked, who would occasionally interrupt with a question or a fascinated interjection. By the time they had reached the nearly empty tables, Keosha's eyes were round (most probably with amazement) at everything Ella had told her. As they sat down in Gryffindor, Ella espied Amanda sitting on her own, forlornly picking at a slice of grilled toast. Looking up, she saw Ella and gave a half-hearted smile, which was quickly replaced by an expression of boredom as she broke eye-contact. Ella's brow tightened in consternation as she sank into a seat next to Keosha, but she smiled widely at her fellow Gryffindor, hoping that the combination of facial expressions did not result in some sort of hideous grimace. As Keosha did not jump up and flee in horror, Ella assumed she looked fine, or at the very least not repulsive. Pushing her glasses up her nose, she immersed herself in a joke of some sort that the other girl was telling her, paying just enough attention to laugh in the right places.

Their schedules were handed to them by Professor McGonagall, later that same morning. Up close, their head of house seemed a little less stern than Ella had been expecting. Her pale, papery face was a map of fine wrinkles, the most pronounced ones being around the mouth and her clear green eyes. Tracing the edge of her timetable, Ella decided there and then that Minerva McGonagall had some of the most beautiful irises she had ever seen. To Ella's considerable relief, their first lesson was Charms - the threat of a bubbling cauldron to start the day off had been hanging over her nape like a guillotine - followed by Transfiguration. A fizzing sensation in her stomach seemed to send shivers through her body; a new day, a clean roll of parchment was stretching out in front of her. Her cheeks ached and she realized she was smiling. Beside her, Keosha and Spencer were gabbling away excitedly, sounding almost as feverish as Ella felt.

A sudden dark curtain descended over Ella's glasses - no, not a curtain, a pair of sweaty palms. "Eek!" she squealed, batting away the fingers that turned out to be Fred's. "Keep your paws off me!" she said, laughing. "Why's that, little E?" he asked mischievously, waggling his eyebrows at her in a _most_ ridiculous manner. "Going to smite us with your 'carroty' powers, is that it?" Ella rolled her eyes, shaking her head, but was nonetheless amused. "It's karate, George, not 'carroty'. And there's no _smiting_ involved -"

"You do _karate_?!" exclaimed Lee Jordan with a touch of incredulity. He had been talking to Angelina and Alicia, who now also looked mildly interested. Ella felt a little flattered by the way they gazed at her, and shrugged, her lips curving into a smile. "Yes, well, it's not so _difficult_.", she said, trying to seem modest. In truth, it was, as she had come to loathe physical activity by engaging in it too often. "I've got a blue belt.", she added as they lined up in front of their classroom. Lee Jordan nodded and was about to say something when the door swung open, revealing a beaming Professor Flitwick. "Oh, do come in! Sit down wherever you want, now, hurry, and keep the chit-chat at a minimum please!" he squeaked.

The day passed in a breeze.


End file.
